Bones
by petals-to-fish
Summary: It didn't matter if the windowpanes were cracked, the wallpaper was peeling, or the crown molding was falling to the floor. With a strong foundation, any house could be rebuilt even after the most terrifying of storms. Lately, Lily wondered if relationships were like the houses she'd rebuilt in her lifetime. (jilytober drabble #1) (HGTV Jily AU)


Lily's mum used to say that older buildings with good bones, they could weather out any storm. It didn't matter if the windowpanes were cracked, the wallpaper was peeling, or the crown molding was falling to the floor. With a strong foundation, any house could be rebuilt even after the most terrifying of storms.

Lately, Lily wondered if relationships were like the houses she'd rebuilt in her lifetime. If the bones of a relationship were strong, would the relationship weather any storm? Lily wasn't sure, but she was ready to test the theory.

The windstorm outside the house blew through the cracks in the windows and woke Lily up from her daydreams. Lily looked out the double paned windows to see the ocean was a wild mess of white caps and dark clouds. It felt like if the wind blew any harder, the entire house would be swept up by the waves crashing against the rocky threshold. Luckily, the home had an excellent establishment embedded in the rock that Lily had seen with her own eyes, so she wasn't too worried.

"It's getting bad out there."

Lily turned to face her only companion, James Potter, who had ventured out in the storm with her to get some painting done in the house while she went over her design notes. He'd invited himself when she mentioned going alone in a text. He apparently didn't want her being alone in the storm and now, she was grateful for his chivalrous nature. He might've been talking to her, but he wasn't looking at her because he was too busy painting the tall walls blue.

Lily turned back to her design papers, trying to ignore the pulling tug on her heartstrings that wanted her to tell him thank you. Her eyes glanced at the coffee he'd brought with him, the cup he'd adorned with her name from the local Starbucks that morning. The fact that he even knew her regular order at Starbucks was sweet and the fact that he always had a coffee waiting for her when they worked together?

She was in love.

"I think they'll likely do filming tomorrow afternoon instead of the morning, because of the weather."

Lily looked up from her papers to find James still halfway across the dining room as he painted the newly risen walls. He had a long sleeved thermal on, but it was so tight fitted that she had half a mind to stare at his long arm muscles and perfectly trimmed waist until she was certain she wouldn't forget every sharp line.

The joke was on Lily though, because she'd wouldn't be satisfied until her fingers were tangled in his messy curls and his body was pressed up against hers. Lily was a designer, after all. She appreciated art and James was like the goddamn Michelangelo.

From the top of his messy black curls to the bottom of his mud stained work boots, she could stare at James until the day was up. His lips were pink and full, utterly kissable. His frame was lean from years running and leading _Marauders Construction_ all the way from a dingy basement to its own contracted HGTV show that had over a million views a week.

Lily had been hired on to replace his best friend and original _Marauders_ designer, Sirius Black. He'd retired from designing houses and turned to designing clothes instead, something James often joked about. He joked a lot with Lily, something that made her heart soar.

The production company had never been more excited about Lily and James' on-screen relationship. Apparently, fans of the show were _also_ fans of Lily and James because the pair acted as if they'd known each other for years from the first camera take. A distinct relationship of 'ultimate proportions' is what producers once said in a board meeting. Apparently, everyone on the internet loved that Lily and James' on-screen chemistry was relatable.

The chemistry between them was very real and it was biting at Lily more than the cold wind outside the walls was. Despite having a solid foundation of friendship and admiration, neither Lily nor James had taken the step to shatter the clear glass between them. Lily was waiting for him to make the move, ever persistent that he was the one who had to take their relationship to the next level since he was technically her boss.

Despite waiting on James, that didn't mean she was shy about how she felt. She didn't care how often the cameras caught her staring in his direction, or how often she let him sneak over to her place for a Stranger Things marathon. She let him tease her and she teased him right back, on or off camera. In less than a year, he'd become her best friend but recently 'friend' had shifted into 'something else'.

She was hit by Cupid's arrow, there was no going back.

"Lily?"

His voice cut across the room, gentleness evident. He always put on a cocky show when the cameras were around, but on days like today, where it was just him and Lily, James kept her guessing with soft words and gentle touches.

"James." She said coolly, putting her chin in her hands to grin at him from her makeshift desk made of two small ladders and a long wooden board.

He wasn't looking up, which was a shame, because she was staring at him with eyes that insinuated nothing but affection with every blink. If Remus, their contractor was there, he'd be rolling his eyes and staring into the cameras like he was on _The Office _and not _Fixer Upper_. James was rubbing his jaw, staring at the paint job he'd just paused. Because of the storm, they were using low light lamps and the blue color was darker than it'd been on paper.

"Why did you pick _Robins Egg Blue_?"

He was complaining about the paint color she'd picked. Lovely.

"Because it's a lovely color."

"Lovely for a baby, maybe." James scoffed.

"The rooms will be white and blue." Lily reminded him, "since it's a 1950's boathouse."

"Eggshell White and Robins Egg Blue," he slapped more paint on the wall, some of it splashing to the tarp under his feet, "you're the designer, I guess."

"Damn right, I'm the designer." She scrunched her nose at him, even though he wasn't watching her.

"And the floor?"

James had kicked the tarp a little to the left, causing some of the boards of wood to become exposed. The muscle in James' jaw twitched as he stared at the old wooden floor with an expression akin to exasperation. He was a builder, not a designer. He was looking at the floors like they were the bane of his existence. Probably because he hated doing floors, something he'd made clear since the day they'd met.

"What about the floors, James?" she couldn't hide the amusement in her tone.

He slapped his paintbrush against his thigh, "Are we keeping these floors or replacing them?"

Lily blew her fringe from her eyes before pulling out her binder and slipping to the floor section.

"Replacing them," she stated firmly, "we have a budget of one hundred thousand for new wood floors."

"Let's keep them."

"Keep them?"

Lily's eyebrow flicked up just as he looked over at her. Hazel eyes met green and Lily couldn't resist biting her lip. He had paint on his cheek, the light robin's egg blue contrasting to his dark coffee skin.

"They're original hardwood." He stomped the floor like a tap dancer, "a decent stain and these babies will clean right up."

He saw her trying not to laugh and sulked.

"What?"

"Nothing." Lily dropped her eyes back to the papers, keeping her smile to herself.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"Maybe."

Suddenly he was at her side, paintbrush in hand and face inches from hers. Lily dared herself to turn her cheek, so they were eye to eye. She loved the spark behind his gaze, the one that set her on fire.

"Why are you laughing at me?"

Lily's eyes darted down to his lips, "I laugh at you all the time don't act like its new—_hey_!"

He'd taken the paintbrush and brushed her neck with it, hiding her red flush with blue. Lily's mouth dropped and she pushed at his shoulder, unabashedly feeling the muscle on his upper arm as she did it. He was sniggering now, brandishing his paintbrush like a sword at her.

The challenge was there, James was tempting Lily to break away from work for play. Her favorite James, the playful James, enticed her more than any other James. Lily lifted her face from her fists and stood up straight, competition running through her veins as he took another swipe with his paintbrush and turned her white shirt blue, a line right down her stomach.

"James!"

He was laughing, advancing on her again, aiming for her arm. Lily dodged out of his way and danced from his reach as she raced across the room to grab the paint tin. James was getting closer, eyeing her now weaponized paint tin.

"You won't throw that at me." He said scathingly.

"Oh yeah?" She shot back, enjoying every second of their clandestine rendezvous away from the cameras, "you wanna bet, Potter?"

He hollered lightheartedly, "I dare you, Evans!"

Lily quirked her head at James' challenge before she dipped her hand into the bucket. His mouth was quirked up. He was skeptic that she'd go through with her threat. James moved to grab her and simultaneously, Lily threw a handful of the paint the minute James was close enough. The paint hit the floor, the wall, Lily's jeans, and James' entire torso.

"Oops," she goaded him, rocking back and forth as James narrowed his eyes at her.

A second passed and then he jumped through the paint covered space between them. Lily shrieked, dropping the paint tin on the floor as James grabbed her around the waist and held her down as he ran the bristles of his paintbrush through her red hair in payback. Lily threw her head back, laughing as she tussled in his strong grip. He was panting as he held her to his chest, grinning at her.

"Oops."

Lily stood on her tiptoes reaching for the paintbrush that started their war, when suddenly their cheeks brushed and they both froze, eyes meeting. Lily sighed faintly and her paint covered hand came to rest on his chest, placing a bright blue handprint over his heart. He leaned into her touch, the storm in his eyes softening and turning into a slow burn that promised a good time if only she asked.

"I dare you."

She whispered it so softly that she almost said it again, afraid he hadn't understood. And then he kissed her so promptly that she gasped against his lips, unprepared for the burning need in her stomach to be doused by sudden release. Their bodies closed in even more, making her practically swoon in his arms. Her paint covered hands took up residence in his hair and his paintbrush fell to their feet as he grabbed ahold of her waist with a sudden desperate clutch.

It shook Lily like a storm, a hurricane of emotions as she realized James fancied her back. It was like the storm outside had entered the house, they were twisting and wrapping into one solid form. She wanted to scream with excitement, to shout her admiration to the rooftops, but instead, she just kissed him with more conviction.

When their kissing finally concluded with both of them dazed and lovestruck, Lily felt warmer than she had in years. They were staring at each other through half closed lashes. She wasn't nervous as James leaned back in to press tiny little kisses down to the top of her nose. He was grinning after each kiss he planted on her skin, like he was holding in a secret that he couldn't wait to share.

Lily felt rather as if she'd just run a marathon. Her fingers traced the planes of his face, noting every spot he was covered in paint. Every place she'd explored had turned him into a mosaic of blue hues.

"I have to say," she hummed happily. "the blue looks better on you, than on the walls."

"You know what'd look better on the wall?" he asked, nudging her backwards with his hips.

"What?"

"_You_."

And her back hit the wall, her shirt sticking to the wait paint as he kissed her deeply. She sighed into his mouth, the simple action of his lips against her own making her the happiest she'd been in months. He was magical and mesmerizing, his body pressed against hers as the storm carried on around them. When he pulled away her eyes were still closed, she was so lost in his taste.

He chuckled when she didn't move, leaning his forehead against hers. Then, James hissed in despair. Lily looked down too, seeing the product of their game. The solid oak floors had been painted by a thick layer of blue paint.

"Fuck," Lily gave a weak laugh, "sorry James, I was careless."

He chuckled, shaking his head against hers, "so much for saving the floors."

"It'll be fine."

"Is that right?" He shifted them so his lips could drag along her neck, "_you_ won't be the one redoing them."

Her fingers were tracing along his jaw hungrily, "It's just a little blue paint."

"_Robin's Egg Blue_ paint." He was joking she could tell, "On floors over one hundred years old."

"When the bones are good, a little peeling paint doesn't matter." Lily scuffed her shoe through the paint to reveal the hardwood underneath, "See? Still beautiful."

James reached up and scratched a bit of the paint off Lily's cheek.

"Beautiful," he affirmed before kissing her again, this time with little promise of ever letting go.


End file.
